The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-06-30

Iysis. Facts About his Early Life.
The Way he Made and Enjoyed his
Money. A Wen-Rounded Life With
Beautiful Sunset.
Wash. Dispatch to ". Y. Nal snd Ecpress.
Many years ago Mr.. w. w. Corco-
ran said !:
"I mean to be selfish about my
money. 1t shall be all for my own
enjoyment during my lifetime. | shall
give and enjoy the happiness of those
to whom l give. shall not leave
much behind me-"
He carried out this programme won
derfully we'll, and he has practiced
the noble and enlightened selfishness
of Peter Cooper and George Peabody.
Mr.. Corcoran now lies at his house,
corner Sixteenth and H streets, par
TALLY paralyzed, and with the slim
chance of recovery allotted to men of
his great ege. He is Lightweight
years old. All Washington is con-
cerned for him-all the rich and all
the poor. In the churches he is pray
ed for, ard if good will could raise
him up he weuld be raised up. For
nearly forty years he has lived in the
fine old home on III street, just oppo-
site Lafayette Park. A great garden
runs all the way to 1 street, and in the
most fashionable part of Washington
the old-time garden blooms and BIOS
SONS. Formerly, MI. .Corcoran enter
tanned much and often, but since the
death of his only child, Mrs. Eustis,
there have been DO gayeties in the
great, red brick house. He has al
ways been glad to see his friends, but
the death of the cherished daughter
has not been forgotten.
BIRTHPLACE AND EARLY LIFE.
Over in Georgetown, in 1898, then
mere hamlet, Mr.. Corcoran was born.
His father had been a shoemaker, but
afterward rose to be Mayor of the
town, and was useful citizen. Mr..
Corcoran's early advantages were not
great. But he read what books he
could get and improved himself, and
soon saw way to rise. He had nat
ural commercial genius, and from a
clerkship he gradually acquired a
business of his own. He was always
a handsome, presentable man, and
even in those earl y days, when social
distinctions were much more observed
than now, he had no trouble in per-
suading the pretty daughter of Com
modore Morris to marry him. The
/ old Commodore was wroth, and like
Gel. Cary, when George Washington
wanted to marry beautiful Mary Cary,
her father informed the lover that his
girl had higher aspirations In spite of
the Commodore's swearing and blus-
tering though, his daughter was obsti-
nate, and became Mrs. Corcoran. Af-
terward, when poverty had reduced
the Morris family, Mr.. Corcoran had
an opportunity of repaying the debt
by supporting them all comfortably.
THE CoRCORAN GALLERY.
Unlike many generous rich men,
who, in giving, take one line Of benev-
olence to the exclusion of all others,
Mr.. Corcoran was truly catholic in his
gifts. The Corcoran Gallery, which
possesses many superb works Of art
of the best foreign and American
/ pdluleIS etLu SCul pooio, 10 IlpCl'ill PiO-
vided for. Its last important purchase
was the $4,000 Corot from the Nor
gan sale. Its value to students is i'm
mense, every provision being made for
study. Besides this, Mr.. Corcoran
may be considered almost the founder
of Columbian University, and his
gifts to the University Of Virginia and
Washington and Lee University have
been magnificent. He was genuine
friend to Washington enterprises Any
entertainment that promised fairly he
was certain to be subscriber to, and
was thus of great and substantial ben
eft to the city.
HIS HOLD on LIFE.
1t will be said of him that us long
as he lived, he lived. Up to Monday
afternoon he attended to business, go
ing down to his office in Riggs Bank,
and his head was as clear as a bell.
He was fond of social visiting, and
had an enormous acquaintance. Per
sons meeting him sometimes got an
idea that his faculties were failing be-
cause he did not at once place them,
but considering the prodigious num-
Der Of persons he had met during bis